Lyft Co-Founder Rajat Suri Says His Children Shouldn't Go To College, Triggers Debate: 'I Dropped Out Of MIT'

Rajat Suri, co-founder of Lyft (via Zimride) and Presto, has caught social media's attention after stating that his children should not perhaps go to college. An alumnus of the University of Waterloo, Suri dropped out of a fully funded PhD/MBA program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2008 to pursue his entrepreneurial path.

Suri admitted that despite going to the most prestigious colleges, he did not understand the value such institutions brought to a person's life.

"I went to MIT for a PhD/MBA after graduating with two degrees at Waterloo, and yet I'm thinking that my kids probably shouldn't go to college," said Suri.

He argued that practical work terms across six companies provided more value than classroom learning, questioning college for his children amid AI's teaching capabilities.

"Most of what I learned at school was at my work terms at Waterloo. I worked at 6 different companies there, experienced vastly different work cultures, management styles, team dynamics and business models," said Suri.

Suri detailed that he dropped out of MIT soon after he realised he had found the way to launch new startups.

"Wondering if we could just get that experience for kids without the unnecessary classwork that AI can teach better anyways?" he said.

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Social Media Reactions

As the post gained traction, social media responses were mixed, with a section of users agreeing that colleges were overrated while others said they provided a conducive environment to network and mingle with impressive people.

"This will be so popular among Bay Area parents!" said one user, while another added: "It feels like it depends on the kid. Some 17-year-olds have the maturity of a teenager. Others are 30-year-olds trapped in 17-year-old bodies. In most cases, I've felt the social benefit to college, especially if able to live independently, has as much benefit as the academics."

A third commented: "College's not really about learning academics. It's about maturity, social skills, discipline, self-management and generally growing up in a safe, constrained environment, plus networking, being around smart and motivated people. Very hard to replicate even a fraction of that."

A fourth said: "Somewhat similar story. Two completed degrees, finally dropped out of MIT MBA. My wife and I don't have to make decisions here for another 10 years, so things can change. But don't think college is worth it for my kids."